Are Pregnant Bellies Public Domain?

Imagine if a non-pregnant woman ran into her neighbor in the grocery store and shared the fact that she was on a diet so that her belly would look good in a bikini and the neighbor reached out and felt her stomach. Or if a daughter-in-law told her mother-in-law that her stomach hurt and the mother-in-law in turn started to rub her daughter-in-law's belly. It would be considered an incredible invasion of privacy. In fact, if it were a stranger, it would almost feel illegal, right?

Why, then, do some people think that a woman's pregnant belly is public domain?

Many women talk about this being a huge problem during their pregnancy. People think they have the right to reach out and touch them. It's probably because humans are so curious and fascinated about the entire concept of a person growing inside of another person. But still it's very strange that people think they skip the foreplay and go right for the gold.

Some say that if you put your own hands over your belly, they work as a guard. Or you can just reach out and return the unwanted favor by touching the culprit right back. Also, you can ask if they want to touch your ass, too. They'll get the hint.

This poll says that 15 percent of participating women don't mind at all when people touch their pregnant belly. That it makes them even more excited about their pregnancy. Twenty four percent say it's an absolute no-no. But 57 percent say that it depends on who does it and if they ask first. This seems reasonable, but it's a little bit of an imposition to put on the woman in the first place. What if she doesn't want to be touched, but also doesn't want to be insulting?

Vampire lore says that vampires can only enter a home if they are invited in. Maybe these blood-suckers are on to something. Maybe it should be a rule that people wait until they have a formal invitation before they just reach out and touch someone.